Kaila Charles
Kaila Charles is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Valkyries of the Women's National Basketball Association and for Reyer Venezia of the Lega Basket Femminile. She played college basketball for the Maryland Terrapins. She was drafted by the Connecticut Sun with the 23rd overall pick in the 2020 WNBA draft. She also previously played for the Atlanta Dream, Seattle Storm, and Dallas Wings in the WNBA.
Early life
High school
Charles hails from Glenn Dale, Maryland. For her first three years of high school, she attended Eleanor [Roosevelt High School (Maryland)|Eleanor Roosevelt High School] in nearby Greenbelt, where her teams had a combined 72 and 5 record. While at Eleanor Roosevelt, Charles' teams won two Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association Class AAAA state championships. Charles also earned Washington Post All-Metro honors as a sophomore and junior. She transferred her senior year to Riverdale Baptist School in Upper Marlboro, and helped the team to a national championship game. She was a McDonalds and Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-American selection as a senior, and also received All-Metro Player of The Year honors from the Post.Recruiting
Charles was ranked as the 25th best player in her national class by ESPN and the Collegiate Girls Report, though the All Star Girls Report had her ranked as high as 21st. She was a highly-sought player as a five-star recruit, and received over 30 scholarship offers, eventually signing with Brenda Frese and the nearby Maryland Terrapins over Tennessee and South Carolina.College career
Freshman season (2016–17)
Charles earned a double-double in her first game and saw a large amount of playing time. She was eventually named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.Sophomore season (2017–18)
As a sophomore, Charles was named a Preseason All-Big Ten team member, as well as a preseason Ann Meyers Drysdale Award watch list member. Charles became the third player in program history to score 600 points as a second year player, and her 17.9 points per game remain the highest-ever for a Maryland sophomore. Charles earned her first Big Ten Player of the Week honors as a sophomore, and finished the season as a First Team All-Big Ten selection.Junior season (2018–19)
Charles received Player of the Week in February of this season, and finished the season receiving Associated Press and WBCA Honorable Mention All-American honors, and becoming a Cheryl Miller Award finalist. She was also a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection, and appeared on the watchlist for the Wade Trophy.Senior season (2019–2020)
Prior to the 2019–20 [Maryland Terrapins women's basketball team|2019-20 season], she was named an AP Preseason All-American, as well as the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year. Charles was Big Ten, United States Basketball Writers Association, and ESPNW player of the week for December 30, and would receive Big Ten Player of the Week Honors once again in February. Charles finished her Maryland career by winning the 2020 Big Ten women's [basketball tournament], the first time the team had done so since her freshman year, after losing to Ohio State and Iowa in the championship game the two previous years.Charles became one of six players in program history to be in the program's top ten scorers and rebounders, holding sixth place for both. She also tied Sun teammate Alyssa Thomas' record of career starts, as she started every game of her career.
Professional career
WNBA
Connecticut Sun (2020–2021)
Charles was drafted by the Connecticut Sun with the 23rd pick in the second round of the 2020 WNBA draft. She appeared in 21 games for the Sun in her rookie year, starting seven. She averaged 5.4 points and 2.6 rebounds over 17.9 minutes per game. Despite being the seventh seed in the 2020 WNBA Playoffs, the Sun made it to the semifinals before losing to the Las Vegas Aces in five games.Charles was waived by the Sun on May 5, 2022. On May 6, Charles joined the New York Liberty on a hardship contract. Two days later, she was released from the hardship and did not appear in any games.